Chain carrier.



T. c. MBRZ. CHAIN CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED NO V. Z1, 1910.

' Pafed May 23, 1911.

Inventur aan srafins rnrnsr ortica..

THEODORE C. MERZ, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MERZ CAPSULE COMPANY,

0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF `IlliICIiIIG-AN.l

CHAIN CARRIER.

Specioation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2a, 191i.

To all whom 'it may concern: l

Be it known that I, Tmioiionn C. Manz, a cit-izen of the United States, residing at .Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have inventedacertain new and useful Improvement in Chain Carriers, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates. to chain carriers.

It has for its object an improved construction of linked or chained carrier adapted to b e driven by the arms of a revolving wheel similar in character to a sprocket wheel and to travel along arched lines. In the drawings z-Figure 1, is a diagram indicating the means of drivinl and the direction of travel between the driving wheels. Fig. 2, is a perspective of a similar portion of the chain indicating the manner of holdmg a load for transportation thereon. Fig. 1 5', is aside elevation partly in section showing the character of theftwo dierent links connected up to form the chain.

Referring to Fig. 3, the link 1 is provided with a horizontal axle and the consecutive link 2 isl provided with a vertical axle. Each of the linksconsists of an ovalloop of rigid material, and one of the links is preferably made with an opening 3 through the s ides thereof closed by a plate 4 which is provided with a fillet 5 that iills the vspace between the ends 6 'and 7 bounding the opening 3. The plate is secured to the body o f the link by riveting the terminals of the link body to the plate. A preferred form of such rivet connection is made by forming the ends of the link with side lugs 8 and 9 which engage through the slots iii the plate 4 and are riveted down to hold the plate 4 securely against the sides of the loop. The

ends of the links are curvedto engage as a universal coupling through the similarly formed ends of the link 11. The link 2`is provided with a vertical axle 1() uponwliich 1s journaled a bearing wheel 11. The erifphery of the wheel 11 extends at each side o the link and is adapted to bear against the side guide 13 (seen in Fig. 1). The link is provided with posts or standards l14, preferably rising from'the plate 4; the standards 14 hold to the link when used as a carrier the article to be transported; The link 1 is preferably made as a closed link and is provided With a horizontal axle 16 upon which is mounted a carrying wheel 17. 1 The link 1 yis also provided with standards 18, preferably rising one at each -side of the link. By making the links alternately solid'and split they may be readily assembled into chain form, if the assembling is accomplished before the wheel 11 is placed in position, and generally the assembling is accomplished before any of the wheels are placed in position. By using` the plate 4 with the standards 14 the standards may be made of any desired length without interfering with the facility of assembling, and

especially can this assembling be readily accomplished if the standards 18, of which there are two, one rising at each sidezof the link, rise from bases 20 which support a horizontal connection' or jogged portion 21 between the base part of the standard and the upper-terminal of the standard. The

upper terminals of the standards (both 14 Y and 18) are spread the desired distance to accommodate the article to be carried, and

Aare spread sufficiently to enable the chain to assume the necessary curvature along its path with the article to be carried placed on the chain and resting on the horizontal or tabular parts'connecting the base and termi.

nals of the posts 18 and the tabular part of ,the plate 4from which the standards 14 the roller and each end, each vertically disposed link having a horizontally disposed anti-friction roller journaled therein midway the ends and leaving, a free space between the roller and each end, the said links being universally joinedby linking the adjacent ends of'twov adjoining'links within the said free spaces between. each roller and 11G each end, and posts rising from the links,

being .poses and the other set to with the guides, substantia substantially as'j'described.

2. A chain carrier having in combination with a driving whee a traction floor, guides stationed at any desired point on said floor, an endless, chain driven 'by said driving wheel ri'ii'i'iing on said iloor and directed by assed around or against said des, the said chain comprising a plurality of links of oval loop form linked together, each link having an anti-friction roller journaled therein alternately, horizontally and vertically in each succeeding li'nk, and posts or standards rising from said links, Awhereby l one set of rollers serves for traction purrevent friction y as described.

3.- A carrier chain, comprising a plurality of links in the form of oval loops having anti-friction rollers iournaled transverse the loops midway the ends, the being. looped together at their ends and each lying at substantially a rilght angle to its adjacent link, the' horizonte y disposed links beisn endless and solid, the verticall dispo links having meeting ends turne up, and a plate having posts rising therefrom and adapted to su port the load carried by the 

